1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of wireless networks, and in particular, to wireless networks that track the location and identity of wireless network devices.
2. Background of the Invention
Enhanced wireless 911 (E911) services help ensure that wireless telephones provide 911 call centers, or Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs), with vital information necessary to locate and identify a caller in an emergency. To comply with E911 standards promulgated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), wireless network providers will soon be required to track the location and identity information of all wireless callers, with the purpose of providing such information to emergency personnel when a caller dials 911 from a wireless telephone. The FCC""s wireless E911 rules require certain Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) carriers to begin transmission of enhanced location and identity information in two phases. Phase I requires carriers to transmit a caller""s telephone number and general location to a PSAP. Phase II requires carriers to provide more precise location information to the PSAP.
Under the FCC rules, wireless networks and the corresponding wireless handheld devices, such as cellular telephones, will provide both the identity and location of the caller to a 911 dispatcher. To provide a caller""s identity, the wireless handheld device will furnish a mobile identification number (MIN), indicating in most instances the telephone number of the device. The wireless network and wireless handheld devices will provide the location of callers using a network-based location system (e.g., triangulation), global positioning systems (GPSs) within the handheld devices, or a combination of the two systems.
In emergency situations, quickly communicating this location and identity information is an invaluable, life-saving tool. Indeed, although the location and identity information is generally perceived as private information, the public policy behind the E911 regulations favors disclosing such private information in hopes of administering the aid a caller needs in an emergency. However, outside of emergencies, most wireless device users view their location and identity information as intimately private, and express strong reservations against involuntary and automatic disclosures of such information.
For users of wireless network devices, concerns over privacy are well founded, especially when considering the increasing convergence of wireless communication networks with global computer networks. Wireless networks are now routinely in communication with the global computer network, providing network users with expanded services such as Internet access through their wireless handheld devices. Through this same link, wireless network providers can provide third parties, such as advertising web sites, with the identity and location information that the network provider is (or will be) required to monitor. (As used herein, third party refers to a participant in a transmission other than the wireless handheld device and the wireless network with which the device communicates.) Consequently, third parties would be able to identify a network user and track that user""s every movement. Although these third parties may claim that such information merely enables them to profile customers and to present more individualized products or services, a significant portion of network users would agree that such practices are a clear invasion of privacy, ripe for abuse.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical system architecture linking a wireless network 110 to a global computer network 112. As shown, wireless network 110 is in communication with a plurality of web sites 114 through global computer network 112, and is in wireless communication with a plurality of wireless handheld devices 116. Common examples of wireless handheld devices include cellular telephones, cellular telephones with text messaging capabilities, personal digital assistants (PDAs) such as the Palm Pilot VII(trademark), and interactive text pagers. To comply with E911 standards, wireless network 112 is also in communication with a PSAP 118.
When a wireless handheld device is in operation, wireless network 110 tracks the location and identity of the device. The plurality of wireless handheld devices 116 provide wireless network 110 with their identities, typically as MINs. For tracking location, the system could have individual location systems 120 in the wireless handheld devices 112, a network-based location system 122 within wireless network 110, or could use a combination of both systems 120 and 122. As an example, a typical network-based location system would be a system that calculates triangulation across cell sites or cell sectors. A typical example of a suitable individual location system would be a GPS.
In the future, because wireless network 110 will already be monitoring the locations and identities of the wireless handheld devices 112 for emergency purposes, network service providers will presumably attempt to capitalize on the mandated service by providing the locations and identities to web sites 114. Among other possible applications, web sites 114 will use the valuable information to direct targeted advertisements to the handheld devices 112. For example, web sites 114 may wish to locate wireless handheld devices near a retail store, and send those devices an advertisement encouraging the network users to visit the store. Although the wireless network provider and web site may view this exchange of location information as a legitimate business use, many network users would object.
Thus, in a wireless network that tracks the locations and identities of network handheld devices, the wireless network controls to whom the information is provided, and the recipient of that information ultimately controls how the information is used. As such, network users will understandably question their level of privacy.
The present invention is a location blocking service for use in wireless networks that track the locations and identities of network users, such as networks complying with the E911 standards. The location blocking service provides a network user with the ability to prevent the location of her wireless handheld device from being disclosed to parties other than the wireless network provider and PSAPs. As such, the network user retains control of her privacy, deciding when and to whom location information will be forwarded.
In wireless networks that track the locations and identities of network users, the location information originates from either a wireless handheld device (e.g., GPS) or the wireless network (e.g., a network-based location system such as triangulation). Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the network user blocks the forwarding of location information in one of two ways: 1) by signaling to the wireless handheld device, if the location information originates from the wireless handheld device, or 2) by signaling to the network, if the location information originates from the wireless handheld device or the network. A signal to the wireless handheld device directs the device not to forward the location information to the network. A signal to the network directs the network not to forward outside of the network location information received from the wireless handheld device. In each case, the direction provides that location information must never be sent, regardless of any requests for location information from external sources, such as web sites in communication with the wireless network through the global computer network.
The primary components of the present invention include a user interface and at least one location block processor. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the primary components include a user interface and a location block device processor provisioned in the wireless handheld device, and a location block network processor provisioned in the wireless network. The user interface accepts user commands to send the signals to the device or network, for example, by the user""s own initiative or by the user""s responding to prompts from the user interface. For example, the user interface could be a series of menus asking the user to activate or de-activate location blocking.
The location block device processor is in communication with the user interface and a handheld location system in the wireless handheld device. In response to a signal from the user interface requiring the blocking of location information, the location block device processor removes location information from transmissions from the handheld device to the wireless network. Although described herein as separate components, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the user interface and location block device processor could be a single component of a wireless handheld device. As used herein, transmission refers the sending of wireless signals carrying information (e.g., text data, voice data, graphical data, and video data) to a destination.
The location block network processor is in communication with the user interface and the network-based location system. Based on commands received from the user interface, the location block network processor removes location information from transmissions before they are forwarded outside of the network, such as to other wireless network handheld devices or to the global computer network. For example, if the location information originates from a handheld location system in the wireless handheld device, the location block network processor could remove the location information from the transmission and substitute dummy information. As used herein, dummy information means any message that disguises location, for example, xe2x80x9cunavailablexe2x80x9d or no message at all. If the location information originates from a network-based location system, the location block network processor could either de-activate the network-based location system or substitute dummy information for the location information received from the network-based location system.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a user can block location information for individual transmissions, for specified types of transmissions, or for all transmissions. These various location blocking options could be set up as an initial profile that could be modified directly by the user through the user interface, or could be modified by the network at the request of the user. The user could select the options, for example, by establishing default preferences, by entering commands before each transmission, or responding to prompts before each transmission. For individual transmissions, a user would opt for location blocking through the user interface before completing the transmission. For example, in sending a text page, a user would precede the transmission with a request for location blocking through the user interface. For blocking location for specific types of transmissions, the user would specify through the user interface recipients who would always receive location information. As an example, such a feature would be beneficial for parents who want to know the locations of their children, but do not necessarily want strangers to receive that information as well. For blocking location in all transmissions, the user would enter a one-time command instructing the location block device processor or location block network processor to never forward location information.
A further preferred embodiment of the present invention overrides blocked location information when necessary, for example, if the user dials 911.
A further preferred embodiment of the present invention provides the wireless network location blocking service irrespective of related services, such as an anonymous location service that provides requesters with the number of devices in a particular location, but not with the identities of those devices.
In addition to blocking location, an alternate preferred embodiment of the present invention enables a network user to block her identity.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide wireless network users with the ability to block their location information on wireless networks that track location and identity information.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent third parties from learning the location of a wireless network device operating on a wireless network that tracks location and identity information.
Another object of the present invention is to protect the location information of wireless network users while still providing such information to authorized personnel in emergency situations.
These and other objects of the present invention are described in greater detail in the detailed description of the invention, the appended drawings, and the attached claims.